Okay, my lovelies, I’m back for the rest of you!
@juliem1912 - I love hearing your feedback that having Nimue, Emrys, and Tristan in the same sibset would be a positive for you! Most people find it too themey.
I also love that you described these combos as having strong literary and mythological connections, because those are important elements to me in naming!
@findemaxa13 - I, too, find it really interesting that for some people the Arthurian connection is a reason to use those names together, while for others, it’s a reason to avoid using them. Naming really is such a personal endeavor!
Thank you so much for your sweet words about my daughter’s name! I’m just as in love with it as I was when we chose it.
I think it’s really interesting that Solomon is one of the names you think pairs best with Nimue, because it’s the one name on the list that I sometimes worry doesn’t belong - partly because it’s the only name I kept when I left the religion I was raised in, and partly because it’s the only combo that doesn’t include a nature name.
@acoker95 - Ooh, I just love it when someone goes through the whole list and gives me their thoughts on each combo! It’s wonderful to see each one through a new set of eyes.
Caspian would absolutely have Cas as a nickname (due to one of my favorite characters, Castiel from Supernatural.)
In addition to loving the mythology associated with Taliesin, I have a very intense emotional connection to the name (that I talk about briefly in this post under the Rowan Taliesin combo if you’re interested - comes with a TW for violence).
I’m so glad to hear that you like Fiachra as a sibling for Nimue! I think it’s the most unusual of my first names, and it’s a more recent love, but when I fell for it, I fell hard. Swan transformation folktales and the patron saint of gardeners?? What witch could resist? 
I never used to be a fan of Emrys until I learned that Myrddin Emrys was the real-life inspiration for the Arthurian Merlin. It was one of those names where learning more about the lore changed my whole opinion!
I love Valerian so much, in part because I’m an herbalist and it’s very powerful medicine, and in part because of a character in one of my favorite book series growing up. I was struggling with it in the combo because I felt like instead of the association with dreams and herbalism, I was getting too much of a Roman warrior vibe. The addition of Meadow turned the whole thing around, and I’m even more in love with it than ever!
I love the way you described Solomon Fable Alistair as tradition, whimsy, and edge 
I love the nickname Jules for Julian! Baelfire is one of those stunning names that borders on GP even for me, but Julian strikes me as the perfect first name for a more adventurous middle. Baelfire also gives me crackling bonfire imagery, while Julian and Hazel both feel like autumn, so I love them together. Hazel is also a family name for one of my partners.
I’m so glad you love Tristan Nightingale! Nightingale was my first really whimsical middle, and once I had that combo fleshed out, it was like I found my “style,” and so many of the others fell more easily into place.
I’ve really struggled with nicknames for Isidore, because Sid makes me think of the horrible child from Toy Story, Dory / Dorie is so synonymous with the fish, and my synesthesia brain really hates the harsh buzz of the double Z in Izzy. I thought about Issy, but that seems like it would be rife with teasing potential.
I’m surprised and fascinated to hear that Soren Tiberius North reads summer to you, because for me, it’s just as wintry, but more rugged - stormy seas and foggy coastline and rocky cliffs - whereas Isidore Celestin Frost is all snow and ice and northern lights.
I’m glad you like Lucian and Wolf together! Balthasar is an honor name for me. One of my Beloved Dead is named Daniel, and I was trying to find a creative way to honor him without using a name that is so contrary to my… well, everything. The Biblical Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar by the Babylonian king, who also made him chief of his occult advisors, and the Greek variant of Belteshazzar is Balthasar. I love it because it gives me a way to honor someone who was important to me without using a name that is so common - or so very Christian.
I think Petrichor can be one of those very polarizing names. I’m just so in love with the evocative meaning - “the smell of the earth after it rains.” Swoon! I also think it is a great unisex name, with femme nicknames like Petra or Cora and masc options like Peter or Rick.
Thank you again for your in-depth feedback!
@Ehrob1 - Thank you so much!! I literally gave a quiet little giddy squeal when I read your comment. I love the idea that someone could look at these combos and go, “yep, that must be lavenderwitch.”
@angelastella5 - Thank you! I’m going to come re-read this whenever I get discouraged working on the femme list. 
@Johannaa - Thank you for the feedback! I sometimes forget about my last name when making combos, so that’s good to hear.
@TheNightingale - I love your username, naturally!
Thank you sooo much! I’m so glad you love them, and that you think every one has something wonderful! That is such high praise
All my love and gratitude to you beautiful Berries for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. This thread makes my day every time I look at it. 